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| Syria fighting rages, more chemical attacks reported Monday, May 27, 2013 03:23 PM PDT  By Erika Solomon BEIRUT (Reuters) - Heavy fighting raged around the strategic Syrian border town of Qusair and the capital Damascus on Monday and further reports surfaced of chemical weapons attacks by President Bashar al-Assad's forces on rebel areas. Intensified government offensives are widely seen as a bid to strengthen Assad's position before a peace conference proposed by the United States and Russia for next month. ... Full Story | Top |
| Senator McCain met with rebels in Syria: spokesman Monday, May 27, 2013 02:47 PM PDT  By Andrea Shalal-Esa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator John McCain, a former presidential candidate and an outspoken advocate for U.S. military aid to the Syrian opposition, met with some of the rebels during a surprise visit to the war-torn country on Monday, his spokesman said. Spokesman Brian Rogers confirmed McCain's meeting with the rebels, but declined to give any details about the visit, which may fuel pressure on Washington to intervene in a conflict that is believed to have claimed 80,000 lives. The visit came as U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| More than 70 killed in wave of Baghdad bombings Monday, May 27, 2013 12:52 PM PDT  By Kareem Raheem BAGHDAD (Reuters) - More than 70 people were killed in a wave of bombings in markets in Shi'ite neighborhoods across Baghdad on Monday in worsening sectarian violence in Iraq. No group claimed responsibility for the blasts. But Sunni Muslim Islamist insurgents and al-Qaeda' s Iraqi wing have increased attacks since the beginning of the year and often target Shi'ite districts. ... Full Story | Top |
| On Memorial Day, Obama pays tribute to fallen Monday, May 27, 2013 12:27 PM PDT  By Jeff Mason ARLINGTON, Virginia (Reuters) - President Barack Obama paid tribute on Monday to fallen men and women of the U.S. armed services during a Memorial Day ceremony in which he reminded Americans that the country was still at war. During a solemn visit to Arlington National Ceremony, the resting ground for many military casualties, Obama noted in remarks to visitors that next year would mark the last Memorial Day of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. ... Full Story | Top |
| News Corp denies having record of Fox News subpoena Monday, May 27, 2013 11:17 PM PDT  (Reuters) - News Corp said on Monday it is still reviewing whether it has any record of a notification from the United States government involving a subpoena for a Fox News reporter's phone records. The media conglomerate was responding to the Justice Department, which said it told News Corp about the seizure of phone records for James Rosen, a reporter with Fox News, in August 2010. ... Full Story | Top |
| Obama, New Jersey governor to reunite Tuesday for storm tour Monday, May 27, 2013 02:19 PM PDT  By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will join New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on Tuesday for a tour of the Jersey Shore damaged by Superstorm Sandy, replaying a scene from last year that some observers believe helped Obama win re-election. Christie, a Republican, gave Obama, a Democrat, blunt praise for his response to the devastating storm that hit the U.S. East Coast just days before the November 6 election. "I cannot thank the president enough for his personal concern and his compassion," Christie said during an October 31 tour together of the damaged areas. ... Full Story | Top |
| Chile, Argentina order evacuation around volcano Monday, May 27, 2013 06:31 PM PDT  SANTIAGO/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Chilean and Argentine authorities on Monday declared a red alert and ordered the mandatory evacuation of a 25-km (15.5-mile) radius around the active Copahue volcano, which straddles the border between the two Andean nations. The volcano - located some 500 km (310 miles) south of capital Santiago, between Chile's Bio Bio region and Argentina's Neuquen province - has seen increasing seismic activity in recent weeks but has not erupted, Chilean authorities said. "This doesn't necessarily mean the volcano will start erupting. ... Full Story | Top |
| Gunman in Texas shooting spree was stationed at Marine base Monday, May 27, 2013 02:41 PM PDT (Reuters) - A Texas gunman who killed one person and wounded five others before being shot to death by police was stationed at a North Carolina Marine base, the Texas Department of Public Safety said on Monday. The gunman was identified as Esteban Smith, 23, who was stationed at Camp Lejeune, the agency said in a statement. Camp Lejeune is home to several Marine Corps commands, including the 2nd Marine Division, and a Navy unit. A spokesman for the military base was not immediately available for comment. ... Full Story | Top |
| Riots put Sweden's open-door immigration policy in spotlight Monday, May 27, 2013 09:01 AM PDT  By Alistair Scrutton and Simon Johnson STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Sweden's worst riots in years might benefit a far-right party in elections next year if scenes of immigrants burning cars and smashing up buildings cause voters to rethink their traditional welcome to foreigners. Even before the week of riots in the poorer neighborhoods of Stockholm, immigration had become a hot political issue, as the number of asylum seekers reached record levels. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU duties on Chinese solar panels losing member: state support Monday, May 27, 2013 04:52 PM PDT  By Robin Emmott and Ethan Bilby BRUSSELS (Reuters) - A majority of EU governments oppose a plan to impose hefty duties on solar panel imports from China, a survey of member states showed on Monday, undermining efforts by Brussels to pressure Beijing over its trade practices. The European Commission, the EU's executive, accuses Chinese firms of selling solar panels at below cost in Europe - a practice known as "dumping" - and plans to impose duties, making it far harder for China to gain market share. ... Full Story | Top |
| News Corp says has no record of Fox News subpoena Monday, May 27, 2013 04:42 PM PDT  (Reuters) - News Corp said on Monday it is still reviewing whether it has any record of a notification from the United States government involving a subpoena for a Fox News reporter's phone records. The media conglomerate was responding to the Justice Department, which said it told News Corp about the seizure of phone records for James Rosen, a reporter with Fox News, in August 2010. ... Full Story | Top |
| Chile, Argentina order evacuation around stirring southern volcano Monday, May 27, 2013 01:40 PM PDT  SANTIAGO/BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Chilean and Argentine authorities on Monday declared a red alert and ordered the mandatory evacuation of a 25-km (15.5-mile) radius around the active Copahue volcano, which straddles the border between the two Andean nations. The volcano - located some 500 km (310 miles) south of capital Santiago, between Chile's Bio Bio region and Argentina's Neuquen province - has seen increasing seismic activity in recent weeks but has not erupted, Chilean authorities said. "This doesn't necessarily mean the volcano will start erupting. ... Full Story | Top |
| Hotel builder, philanthropist John Hammons dies Monday, May 27, 2013 11:19 AM PDT (Reuters) - John Q. Hammons, a real estate developer who built a hotel empire and became a leading philanthropist in his native Missouri, has died at age 94, his company said. Hammons died on Sunday at the Elfindale Manor nursing home in Springfield, Missouri, a statement on the John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts website said. His company became the largest private, independent owner and manager of upscale hotels in the United States and now runs 78 hotels, the statement said. His hotels include such brands as Embassy Suites, Marriott and IHG. ... Full Story | Top |
| Protests over murdered British soldier, pressure on Cameron Monday, May 27, 2013 10:03 AM PDT  By Costas Pitas LONDON (Reuters) - Around a thousand far-right protesters shouting "Muslim killers, off our streets" marched through central London on Monday against a backdrop of swelling anti-Muslim feeling following the killing of a British soldier last week. Lee Rigby, a 25-year-old soldier, was hacked to death in broad daylight in a south London street by two men who said they killed him in the name of Islam. The attack has shocked Britain and stirred an anti-Muslim backlash, including attacks on mosques. ... Full Story | Top |
| EU to move spotlight from austerity to reforms on Wednesday Monday, May 27, 2013 10:13 AM PDT  By Jan Strupczewski BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission will further shift the EU's policy focus from austerity to structural reforms to revive growth when it presents economic recommendations for each member state on Wednesday, officials said. In its annual assessment as guardian of the EU's budget rules, the Commission will say that while fiscal consolidation should continue, its pace can be slower now that a degree of investor confidence in the euro has been restored. ... Full Story | Top |
| Bahrain bans political groups from contacting Hezbollah Monday, May 27, 2013 07:40 AM PDT  DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahrain on Monday banned political groups from making any contact with Lebanese militant movement Hezbollah, a day after the Gulf Arab state's foreign minister called the head of the Shi'ite Muslim group a "terrorist". The move reflected sectarian tensions within Bahrain and across the Sunni Muslim-dominated Gulf region stoked since 2011 by Syria's civil war, and exacerbated further after Hezbollah's leader openly acknowledged it was fighting on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's side against mainly Sunni rebels. ... Full Story | Top |
| Insight: The maverick challenging Spanish politics Monday, May 27, 2013 05:49 AM PDT  By Fiona Ortiz and Elisabeth O'Leary MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's rising political star is a 61-year-old former Socialist whose message of changing the system from within is drawing voters in despair at economic ruin and official corruption in the euro zone's fourth biggest economy. Lacking the raucous anti-establishment appeal of Italy's Beppe Grillo and Greek leftist hero Alexis Tsipras, Rosa Diez relies on sharp debate to deliver her reform message to a country pushed to the brink by the euro zone debt crisis. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. urges garment buyers to stay engaged with Bangladesh Monday, May 27, 2013 05:57 AM PDT  By Ruma Paul and Serajul Quadir DHAKA (Reuters) - International garment buyers, particularly those in the United States, have a crucial role to play in ensuring the safety of Bangladesh's garment workers, a senior government official said on Monday. A series of deadly incidents at factories in Bangladesh, including the collapse of a building housing garment factories last month that killed 1,130 people, has focused global attention on safety in the industry. "On the labor issue, absolutely, buyers have a critical role and they must be engaged," U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Peacekeepers cannot protect civilians in South Sudan's east: U.N Monday, May 27, 2013 05:49 AM PDT  By Hereward Holland JUBA (Reuters) - The United Nations peacekeeping force in South Sudan lacks sufficient troops and aircraft to protect civilians affected by fighting in an eastern region, the U.N. envoy said on Monday. Tens of thousands of people have been uprooted by clashes between the army and rebel forces in Jonglei state. Almost all of the 10,000 residents of Pibor town in Jonglei have fled their homes, aid agencies say, following looting by the state security forces and rebel threats to attack it. The head of the U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| Syrian opposition shake-up falters ahead of peace conference Monday, May 27, 2013 03:56 AM PDT  By Khaled Yacoub Oweis ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A crisis in Syria's opposition deepened on Monday when liberals were offered only token representation, undermining international efforts to lend the Islamist-dominated alliance greater support. To the dismay of envoys of Western and Arab nations monitoring four days of opposition talks in Istanbul, the 60-member Syrian National Coalition thwarted a deal to admit a liberal bloc headed by opposition campaigner Michel Kilo. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.N. rights chief says anti-terror measures can backfire Monday, May 27, 2013 06:21 AM PDT  GENEVA (Reuters) - United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay told governments on Monday that trying to fight terrorism by limiting personal freedoms and mistreating suspects could only worsen the problem. She spoke as Britain and France were considering tightening anti-terror laws and surveillance after the killings of two soldiers in London and Paris, and as U.S. President Barack Obama renewed his efforts to close the Guantanamo prison camp in Cuba. Pillay, speaking at the opening of the spring session of the U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| Suu Kyi denounces two-child limit on Myanmar Rohingya families Monday, May 27, 2013 04:33 AM PDT  YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar opposition leader and pro-democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi condemned on Monday a policy by a district government to limit Muslim Rohingya families to two children in an effort to curb their population growth. The two-child policy dates back to 1994, but it does not appear to have been enforced until recent weeks. "They shouldn't discriminate. This is against human rights," Suu Kyi told journalists. An estimated 800,000 Rohingya live in Rakhine State in the west of Myanmar. ... Full Story | Top |
| European stocks claw back ground as markets steady Monday, May 27, 2013 07:57 AM PDT  By Marc Jones LONDON (Reuters) - European stocks, bonds and the dollar traded more calmly on Monday after last week's turbulence, though another 3 percent dive in Japan's main share index kept investors on edge. UK and U.S. holidays kept European equity and bond markets quieter than usual, but with last week's falls tempting buyers, the Euro STOXX 50 was up 0.8 percent and Italian and Spanish bonds eyeing their first gains in three sessions. ... Full Story | Top |
| Sniper kills Syrian journalist from pro-government TV Monday, May 27, 2013 03:17 AM PDT  BEIRUT (Reuters) - Sniper fire killed a well-known Syrian journalist working for a pro-government television channel near the Lebanese-Syrian border on Monday, the state news agency said. Yara Abbas, a reporter for the al-Ikhbariya news channel, was killed near Debaa airport in Homs province. Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad there have been trying to recapture the base from the rebels seeking to oust him. Syria TV said Abbas, in her mid-twenties, was targeted by "terrorists", the term commonly used by Assad supporters to describe the rebels. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Syria contagion strikes deep into Lebanon Monday, May 27, 2013 04:51 AM PDT  By Dominic Evans BEIRUT (Reuters) - Two rockets fired at Hezbollah-controlled southern Beirut bring Syria's escalating civil war deeper into the heart of Lebanon and closer to unrestrained regional conflict. The two-year-old conflict in Syria has already tumbled into Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, exploded into deadly street fighting in its northern city of Tripoli and driven half a million refugees across the same porous border to escape the bloodshed. ... Full Story | Top |
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